KWAVE Festival 2013: Melbourne’s first Korean cultural festival

Immerse yourself with all that Korean culture has to offer on September 7 as the inaugural KWAVE Festival washes over Melbourne. Yoanita Marselia has the details.

If you love K-Pop or appreciate what Korean culture has to offer, this festival will not be one to miss. On September 7, Melburnians will be able to take part in the first ever Korean Wave Festival (KWAVE Fest) – a cultural celebration of traditional and modern Korean entertainment, food and culture at Federation Square.

With Melbourne’s Korean population increasing and interest in Korean pop culture at an all-time high, the KWAVE festival couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. The event will include an array of food and exhibit stalls, a Hanbok showcase (a Hanbok is a traditional Korean dress) and performances from local Australian dance ensembles dancing to their favourite K-Pop tracks.

SQ Entertainment managing partner Helen Le says the aim of the KWAVE Festival is to create awareness of Korean culture for the Australian public as well as for the Melbourne community to explore a new form of entertainment.

“We just want this KWAVE Festival to be an opportunity for the general public to have fun, dance to some K-Pop, try some kimchi pancake and by the end of the night, we just hope everyone leaves with a good impression of Korea’s food, music and culture.”

For those unfamiliar with the Korean wave, SQ Entertainment has invited YouTube sensations Simon and Martina from Eat Your Kimchi for a one hour Q&A session covering K-Pop entertainment.

Simon and Martina have lived in Korea for more than six years and have been immersed in Korean culture from a non-Korean perspective.

Other highlights of the day will include the event mascot “Barami”, who will be walking around for photo opportunities and prizes will also be up for grabs for some lucky people.

With enormous support from organisations like the City of Melbourne, Federation Square, Melbourne Super Studio and others, the team at SQ Entertainment have been dedicated to the organisation of the festival for more than eight months now.

As the first Korean cultural festival in Melbourne, excitement and anticipation of the festival will unquestionably be as high as Korea’s popularity in recent times.

The KWAVE Festival 2013 will be held at Federation Square (and the River Terrace) on September 7 and will run from 12pm until 9pm. For those attending the festival, catch a train or tram to Flinders Street Station, which is straight across from Federation Square.

Stay tuned for Meld Magazine’s upcoming interview with Eat Your Kimchi stars Simon and Martina. If you have a question you want to ask the duo, leave a comment below and we’ll try to get it in for them! For more information about Eat Your Kimchi, head on over to their official website.